Chapter 35 Complaint
In the early morning, the night gradually faded away.
The crescent moon and stars were still hanging in the western sky, but the eastern sky was already turning pale.
The capital city was still shrouded in thick morning mist, but the streets to the east, west, south and north were already filled with soldiers carrying swords and orders.
"Close the city gates! No one is allowed to leave!"
"Ministry of Justice and Supreme Court! If a criminal escapes, search every house. Anyone who dares to harbor a criminal will be executed!"
Just as the streets were in chaos outside and the officers and soldiers were digging deep into the ground to search for the escaped female prisoners, no one could have imagined that they were wearing the uniforms of the Golden Crow Guards, passing under the noses of the imperial city guards and entering the Yiluansi.
These female prisoners had no idea who had rescued them. They changed their clothes in a daze and passed through several doors guarded by guards. They were terrified all the way, fearing that they would lose their lives if they made any mistake.
Therefore, as soon as they entered the lobby of the Yiluansi yamen and heard the leader say, "It's safe here," everyone lost their temper, collapsed to the ground, covered their faces and cried silently.
Zhao Mingyue was also like this. She had no strength left in her body. She leaned against the pillar and slowly slid down to sit on the ground.
His hand loosened and the sword fell to the ground with a clatter.
She lowered her head and stared at the ground in a daze. Was it murder or arson? Was it really her who did it?
Is it really Zhao Mingyue who is the one who does cruel acts like a bandit out of selfish desire to gain her mother's approval?
Moreover, can it be called kindness to claim to be righteous but kill people in the name of saving people?
Her heart was constantly tortured like this, and her initial firmness and determination were shaken. A huge sense of panic and guilt came over her and swallowed her whole.
She hugged her knees and buried her head in them, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
The guards beside her were in a completely different mood from hers. They were completely immersed in the excitement of the successful operation and couldn't extricate themselves.
This was their first time on a mission, and it was a big deal like robbing a prison, but they managed without making any mistakes. That's amazing!
Now I have one more thing to brag about to my teammates.
There is also Princess Mingyue. They were a little skeptical about her abilities at first, but they didn't expect that she was unexpectedly reliable at such a young age.
Their eyes all turned to Zhao Mingyue at the same time, and only then did they notice her abnormality.
What happened to the princess? They were confused and looked to their companions anxiously for answers.
Just as they were about to take action, they saw someone walk up to Zhao Mingyue before them.
"Your Highness, are you feeling uneasy?"
Zhao Mingyue was daydreaming when a gentle voice suddenly sounded above her head.
Then, a hand gently rested on her shoulder, warm and soft, warming her cold skin through a thin layer of clothing.
She looked up and saw that it was the leader of the prisoners.
She hadn't understood why the prisoners obeyed her orders so well before, but now, looking into her eyes filled with sincerity and concern, she understood a little.
"I, I feel a little sad... Those soldiers died like that... They knew nothing... They were just following orders..."
Xue Qi looked at her with a smile, "Princess, you are a kind person, but your kindness is so useless that you feel troubled."
"What did you say?!" Zhao Mingyue was surprised and angry, and asked loudly in disbelief.
Perhaps it was because they had been with Chi Li for too long and had acquired some unquestionable power from her, so the people around her were frightened by her voice.
The prisoners looked at them uneasily and whispered about Zhao Mingyue's identity. Although she looked a little too young, she couldn't be an ordinary person since she could command those guards.
No matter what, you can't offend her!
Xue Qi remained unfazed. She spoke gently, "Kindness is often praised, while cruelty is often reviled. However, to cleanse the world of sin, one inevitably stains one's hands with blood. Your Highness, you killed to save others, taking the blame for the crimes of all the women imprisoned across the world. Isn't that a greater act of kindness? Princess, there's really no need to blame yourself."
Zhao Mingyue was stunned. This person just scolded her for being useless, why did he turn around and praise her for being kind?
But the uneasiness in my heart did dissipate because of these words, and I even felt a little happy.
He glanced to the side, looking a little embarrassed, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously rose.
She is not as kind as she says, but what she said does make some sense, it's worth appreciating!
"May I have your name?"
"Your humble servant, this is Xue Qi, the official in charge of the Shangyi Bureau."
Zhao Mingyue's heart skipped a beat. Isn't this the female official whose test paper she gave a low grade?
Out of guilt, she secretly asked Danying her name.
A'niang told her that there would be an insider arranged by her in the prison. At that time, in the yard of the prison, this person was the first to come up to her and ask if she was sent by the Queen Mother. She then knew that she was the insider.
But she never thought that this was Xue Qi!
So, A Niang finally saw her paper and wanted to hire her?
Zhao Mingyue felt inexplicably guilty and glanced at Xue Qi secretly. She probably didn't know about this, right? Judging from her indifferent attitude towards her, she probably didn't know.
She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, stood up from the ground, and asked her: "Then, Xue Siji, after we rescue the people, what should we do next?"
"After that..." Xue Qi thought about what Chi Li had said to her.
If the female prisoner is successfully rescued, Li Jiying will take everyone's complaint to the emperor and beat the drum to file a complaint.
But what if Li Jiying didn't want to? Or she didn't dare, or she ran away at the last minute?
Xue Qi didn't know Li Jiying, she just wanted to be fully prepared instead of relying solely on this one person.
Chi Qi only said five words to her at that time, and she would agree.
Xue Qi looked up at the sky outside the window, then looked at the people gathered in the lobby. His gaze swept across their faces one by one, finally landing on Li Jiying's face.
"There's still an hour until dawn. Let's listen to their difficulties first."
I thought to myself, I hope they can succeed this time.
Li Jiying, please don't let me down.
————
Just as Xue Qi and others were preparing to file a complaint with the emperor, Li Mian and Li Xiaoci had already put on their official uniforms and were ready to go to court.
Li Mian reflected on it and realized that he was indeed a little confused after learning that Qian Ming and Wang Liu were missing.
Fortunately, he had been in the court for so many years and soon calmed down.
Even if the Queen Mother knew that he killed Song Guangyi, so what?
All the people in the court are his. As long as he denies it, he won't believe that the Queen Mother dares to do anything to him!
As for the robbery of the prison, we can only sacrifice the pawns to save the king.
He has already sent someone to deliver a message to the Zhu Mansion, and he believes Zhu Fangfang will understand.
"With such a big mess happening in the Ministry of Justice, the Empress Dowager will definitely not let this opportunity slip by. Zhu Fangfang can't be saved. Later in the court, it's best for you and I to keep our composure, lest the Empress Dowager exploit this situation."
Li Xiaoci nodded, "Yes, I'll listen to Dad in everything."
Li Mian looked at his honest appearance and became a little angry. "All this is because of you. If you had dealt with that rebellious girl earlier, we wouldn't be in such a passive position! However, if it is really as we guessed, the group of people who broke into the prison were from the Imperial Guards——"
After a pause, he sneered, "The Queen Mother really made a stupid move. Once we catch that group of people, Queen Mother Chi will be dead!"
"That's right. Empress Dowager Chi is young after all. How can she be a match for Dad?"
The two of them discussed it for a while, got ready, and walked towards the door.
At this moment, a servant hurried in from outside the courtyard gate, "Master, the letter has been delivered."
"What did Zhu Fangfang say?" Li Mian asked him.
"People from the Zhu Mansion said that Master Zhu was summoned to the palace by the Queen Mother half an hour ago."
Li Mian's heart suddenly skipped a beat. How could the movement be so fast?
Then he thought again, nothing should happen. No matter how tyrannical Empress Dowager Chi is, she can at most dismiss Zhu Fangfang from his post. Otherwise, could she execute him?
He felt relieved and decided to remain unchanged in the face of all changes. He straightened his clothes, strode out of the house, and got into the carriage. Li Xiaoci followed closely behind him.
A quarter of an hour later, the two entered the imperial city and arrived at the Tianji Hall where the court meetings were held.
Under the eaves outside the hall, all the officials were already waiting there, their faces more solemn than usual, and it was obvious that they all knew what happened last night.
When the officials saw Li Mian and his companions, they all stood up and looked at him.
Li Mian nodded at them, glanced at everyone, and didn't see Zhu Fangfang. He guessed that she must have been detained by Empress Dowager Chi.
But his face showed no clues, he walked over slowly with a calm look.
At this time, the bell rang on time, and the eunuch on duty stepped forward and pushed open the palace door.
Li Mian walked at the front of the officials and entered the hall first. The other officials were divided into two columns, civil and military, according to their ranks, and followed in one after another.
It didn't take long before the empress dowager came out, followed by Zhu Fangfang, who looked surprised, and two unfamiliar female officials.
Before Li Mian could think about what happened to Zhu Fangfang, all the ministers had already knelt down to pay their respects, so Li Mian had no choice but to kneel down as well.
The voice of Queen Mother Chi came from above, "Get up."
Strangely, her tone didn't sound angry at all, but surprisingly gentle.
But Li Mian felt inexplicably uneasy, always feeling that it was the calm before the storm.
He stood up, slowly walked to his exclusive chair in front of the throne and sat down. He looked up at Chi Li, but could not see anything from her cold face.
Suddenly, Zhu Fangfang strode into the hall, plopped down on her knees, and wailed, "Your Majesty, I am guilty! It was my negligence that led to the prison being breached by bandits, and all the female prisoners escaping. This is all my fault, Your Majesty, and I beg for your punishment!"
Li Mian remained calm, thinking to himself: Is this a retreat to advance? Zhu Fangfang is quite clever.
Chi Li said coldly, "Are you planning to quit? If I punish you, who will catch those bandits for me? Instead of crying here, why not think of a way to apprehend those traitors first?"
Zhu Fangfang nodded repeatedly.
Li Mian was shocked. Why didn't Queen Mother Chi play by the rules? What was she planning to do? Why did she let Zhu Fangfang go so easily?
As he was thinking, bursts of drum sounds suddenly came from outside the palace gate.
The drumbeats seemed to hit Li Mian's heart, making him jump with fear for no reason.
After the drumbeat, a guard rushed into the hall and said, "Your Majesty, someone is beating the drum to file a complaint with the emperor!"
"Who is it?"
"The fugitive Li Jiying!"
Before Li Mian could react, Li Xiaoci had already jumped up excitedly, "What? Then arrest her quickly!"
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